E RIC NUZUM “SINGING IN THE ECHO CHAMBER” MUSIC CENSORSHIP IN THE U.S. AFTER SEPTEMBER 11TH “SINGING IN THE ECHO CHAMBER?” Music Censorship in the U.S. After September 11th by ERIC NUZUM Published by Freemuse Editor in Chief: Marie Korpe ISSN 1601-2127 Layout: Sigrún Gudbrandsdóttir Cover: Robert Ruiz/ Shreveport Times Printed in Denmark 2005 by Handy-Print © Freemuse 2005 The views in the report do not necessarily represent the views of Freemuse. Report no. 05/2005 Freemuse Nytorv 17 1450 - Copenhagen K. - Denmark tel: +45 33 32 10 27 fax: +45 33 32 10 45 e-mail:
[email protected] web: www.freemuse.org OTHER PUBLICATIONS BY FREEMUSE 1st World Conference on Music and Censorship (2001, ISBN: 87-988163-0-6) “Can you stop the birds singing?” – The Censorship of Music in Afghanistan, by John Baily (2001, ISSN: 1601-2127) “A Little Bit Special” – Censorship and the Gypsy Musicians of Romania, by Garth Cartwright (2001, ISSN: 1601-2127) Playing With Fire – Fear and Self-Censorship in Zimbabwean Music, by Banning Eyre (2001, ISSN: 1601-2127) ”Which way Nigeria?” – Music under threat: A Question of Money, Morality, Self-censorship and the Sharia (also available in French) By Jean Christophe Servant (2003, ISSN: 1601-2127) Contents Preface 5 Executive Summary 7 Introduction 9 Section One: Free expression in America and the events of September 11th 18 Section Two: Incidents of music censorship in the wake of September 11th 24 Section Three: Protest music, musician activism, and censorship during the war on terror 31 Section Four: Other implications 46 Index 56 Bibliography 59 Notes 62 PREFACE Freemuse has not previously focused on the Land of the Free.